


Chaos and Conspiracy

by junko



Series: Curse of the Nue [29]
Category: Bleach
Genre: M/M, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-15
Updated: 2012-09-15
Packaged: 2017-11-14 07:20:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,885
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/512750
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/junko/pseuds/junko
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Renji has thinky-thoughts while rushing to face Ichigo; Byakuya figures out something important.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Chaos and Conspiracy

**Author's Note:**

> What follows is my explanation of what these two were thinking at this pivotal moment. Your thoughts about what I got right/wrong are, as always, welcome. 
> 
> For those not following along the only thing that you need to know to read this is that Byakuya and Renji have been having, shall we say, "power plays" over Zabimaru (in particular a nasty scene that Renji refers to as "in the alley".)
> 
> Also, Byakuya is potentially wrong about his conspiracy involving Rukia and Azien/Ichimaru. However, my plan is that this inital idea puts him on the right track.

As Renji ran toward the Senaikyû Shishinrô, he wondered if he’d done the right thing leaving his adjutant badge behind. 

But, Byakuya would never approve of his plan. Renji was stepping way outside of proper protocol. It wasn’t exactly illegal, but it was irregular enough that Byakuya would put a stop to it—he’d tell Renji to take things slowly, carefully. Worse, the captain would make him endanger more lives by insisting Renji’s advance team take part… and, Renji had trained his people _far_ too well. They’d never let Renji kill the ryoka. They’d insist on capture. Because, you know, it was the  right thing to do.

Well, screw that.

Doing the right thing wasn’t working any more.

Renji had no intention of bringing the invaders to justice. He was going to murder that Ichigo Kurosaki and it was going to be the most satisfying moment of his life. And, not just for the revenge—though that would taste sweet, too. No, killing that human brat would be awesome because Renji finally figured out how to kill Ichigo _and_ save Rukia’s life at the same time.

Renji had started toward the Senaikyû only thinking about avenging his fallen comrades, but an idea had sprung into his mind as the Sōkyoku came into sight. Reflecting on his grief over Utako and her uncalled zanpaktō had made Renji realize that the crime here involved more than just Rukia. It was against Sode no Shirayuki, too. Utako’s death had made Renji understand exactly why this was such a serious crime. Rukia must be dying inside from being away from her zanpaktō for so long. When Ichigo Kurosaki subsumed Sode no Shirayuki into himself for whatever selfish reasons he’d had-- he’d ripped out a piece of Rukia’s very soul. He’d run off and left her bereft, with half of her missing. Even just being separated from Zabimaru for a few days, Renji knew a little bit about what that must feel like—how much that _hurt_. In Renji’s mind, that lowlife thief Kurosaki deserved to suffer a horrible, painful death for his transgression.

Rukia sure as hell didn’t. She was the injured party. She was already in enough pain.

None of it was Rukia’s fault either. 

That Kurosaki kid was to blame for Rukia’s “crime.” He’d done it. He was the guilty party, not her. If Renji killed that orange-haired punk, Rukia would get Sode no Shirayuki back. Central would have to listen to her side of the story when Renji presented them with cold, dead corpse of the _real_ criminal. Especially since Renji was now absolutely sure that kid must have forced Rukia to give up Sode no Shirayuki. No way she surrendered her zanpaktō to someone freely—not even a lover; surely, she would rather have died. That kid must have threatened her or something worse… like what had happened with him in the alley with Byakuya.

At that image, ice ran through Renji’s veins. 

If that snot-nosed boy had _dared_ to touch his Rukia or her Sode no Shirayuki even remotely like… that, Ichigo would pay. Renji would exact the price in blood. He’d tear that kid’s throat out. Renji might have failed to give Utako the chance to call out her zanpaktō, but, by the gods, he’d do everything in his power to reunite Rukia and Sode no Shirayuki.

Renji looked up at the long stairs to the Sōkyoku and whispered, “Hang on, Rukia. You know how slow I can be, but I get it now. I finally understand what I have to do. Zabimaru and I are going to save you and Sode no Shirayuki, both.”

#

Byakuya had intended to leave the Fourth Division’s quadrant some time ago. He’d gone back into the barracks when a new wave of injured swarmed past him in the street. Byakuya had followed because he thought he’d seen Renji’s hair, a flash of tattoo.

But, it had just been some woman from the Ninth, and her hair hadn't even been close to the right color.

Now Byakuya found himself trapped. He could go no more than a step before being called to another bedside. He should storm out past them all, track down Renji, but how could he, when there were so many soldiers down, wounded, and suffering? 

So many of his own. 

All of them were looking to him for strength, for leadership. How could _his_ division be this tattered? Without Renji they seemed to have lost their core. They were holding the line, but they had lost a sense of hope, a sense of cohesion. Renji should be here, leading them to victory, shouting out the battle cry of the Sixth, and keeping hearts and minds focused against the enemy. He was extremely good at that—when he was here. 

Byakuya’s anger simmered, flaring with each new person that called his name. Unlike Renji, Byakuya’s sense of duty did not allow him to abandon them.

Though, admittedly, Byakuya felt out of his depth. One-on-one with the troops was not his natural strength. At least Byakuya could cheer them a little by being there at all. He sat and listened to their stories, letting them vent their anger, their frustrations, and their fears. One, who was very young, even clutched at his hand, which he allowed. Byakuya was horrified by how many of his people seemed to have been wounded by fellow shinigami. Chaos, it seemed, was contagious and very dangerous. The boy who gripped his hand with thin, bony fingers had been struck down by someone from another division.

“Is that the lieutenant’s?” The boy breathed when his gaze lighted on the badge Byakuya held. His eyes grew wide; fingers clutched even harder, “Renji! Oh no!”

“Be at ease. Lieutenant Abarai is not, to my knowledge, among the injured,” Byakuya said. _Not yet_ , Byakuya thought, his teeth grinding. _But when I find him, I intend to flay him within an inch of his wretched, miserable life for shirking his duty to these people and to me._

“But… why do you have his badge?”

“I’m not entirely certain,” Byakuya admitted. Laying it in his lap, he smoothed the edges with his free hand. “It was given to me in a very roundabout fashion by someone I don’t entirely trust.”

“You think someone is after Renji?! But, why?”

That wasn’t exactly what he’d said, but Byakuya considered the boy’s question seriously, “I don’t know. It seems an unlikely scenario.”

“Yeah,” the boy agreed. “Everybody likes Renji.”

“No one is without enemies,” Byakuya lightly admonished the lad. “Not even our beloved lieutenant.”

Startlingly, the boy squinted his big green eyes at Byakuya and all but spat, “I don’t believe you. Name one.”

Normally, Byakuya would not tolerate being spoken to in such a belligerent manner by a subordinate. But something about the fierce glint in the young man's eye and the challenge in his pout made Byakuya said, “I can name two: captains Aizen and Ichimaru.”

“Them? No way! Why?”

He’d said far too much to someone of such a low rank, but, with Renji AWOL, Byakuya found himself desperate for a sounding board. Despite his youth, this spunky little fellow clearly had no problem voicing a contrary opinion. “I will tell you, but only in the strictest of confidences, you understand?”

The boy finally let Byakuya’s hand go. He pulled the covers around his shoulders as if trying to show his readiness for such a serious mission, and then he nodded vigorously. “Yes, sir!”

“I have long thought there was a mystery in Renji’s transfer to the Eleventh. I don’t know if you knew this about our lieutenant, but he graduated with top marks from Academy. He was awarded summa cum laude, the third best in his entire class. Renji must never know this next part of the story,” Byakuya said, watching as the boy perked up importantly. “But I’m ashamed to admit there was a squabble over him at graduation among the captains, which included myself. Aizen fought hard for Renji and not only got him, but managed to win all top three students--leaving the rest of us to fight over scraps. Personally, I have never forgiven Captain Aizen for his greed and selfishness.”

“Wow,” the kid said. “That’s so cool, but… I never even knew Renji was in the Fifth. Why would someone who fought so hard for him ever let him go?”

“That's the question, isn't it? In Aizen's position, I wouldn't have.”

“What happened?”

“It’s not clear. I have hunted down Renji’s transfer orders in the archive, and the paperwork only says ‘for reasons.’ Renji never speaks of that time.” 

“Never?” When Byakuya shook his head, the boy leaned in and squeezed Byakuya’s hand again, this time only briefly. He whispered conspiratorially, “So you think something happened between him and the captain, then?”

“Indeed, or his lieutenant, who at the time was Ichimaru." Byakuya knew Renji had kicked Ichimaru, but this young boy didn't need such details so he left things vague enough. "Certain assumptions were made about the nature of the infraction when Renji went to the Eleventh, though no official charges were ever filed against him. I’ve asked Renji about it. He has never denied there was a physical altercation, but he has never told me why he did what he did.”

Not in any meaningful way, anyway. Renji would just shrug and say he didn’t like Ichimaru much and leave it at that. But, Renji was an unseated officer at the time. He’d gone after his lieutenant. This was not the sort of thing that happened _‘just because’_ in any division outside of the Eleventh. In fact, it was unheard of. Especially troubling was that Renji had never stood for either ‘insubordination’ or ‘assaulting an officer,’ both of which, by his own admission, he was guilty of.

Byakuya had long thought that Aizen never court-martialed Renji for one reason, and one reason alone: to cover up something else, something worse. 

Byakuya was certain that slimy Ichimaru was guilty of something truly heinous. Because, whatever it was, it had caused Renji to go after Ichimaru publicly--despite the risk, despite the massive gulf between their strengths. It had to be something that Aizen also wanted to keep secret, something that could have been exposed in a court-martial. 

But what could it be?

Renji would not keep Ichimaru’s secret willingly. Though, given how ambitious Renji was, perhaps he _would_ under duress, in order to stay in service. Maybe it had been a trade: you keep your mouth shut, and we won’t toss you back to the Rukongai. Given that he’d only just graduated, Inuzuri must have still been a fresh memory to Renji; return would be a frightening prospect. And, even though he was unseated, he would have had to leave Zabimaru behind or face a life imprisoned the Maggot’s Nest. 

No, for a man like Renji, there would be no choice.

So what was the secret he’d borne all these years?

And why, all of a sudden, was Aizen trying to stir up trouble between Byakuya and Renji? Why now after all this time? What had changed?

Rukia.

What else could it be? Rukia was also the one thing Renji would kill for. He’d been willing to suggest treason to Byakuya; what was insubordination to _that_?

And, now that Byakuya considered it, Ichimaru had gone out of his way to taunt Byakuya about Rukia. Aizen, too, had showed up unannounced that morning all full of concern and advice about Rukia.

Why wouldn’t she have told Byakuya if there was trouble? Byakuya grunted to himself: why else? Rukia probably foolishly thought to protect him. 

But Rukia was condemned to die. Surely their secret, if it in fact involved her, would die with her. What of Renji? Aizen’d had Renji’s badge—was that some kind of show of power, some way of signaling a move against him? Was Renji in danger?

Byakuya shook his head. This was getting too far-fetched, too tangled. Even so, his heart was pounding, beating anxiously against his chest. Byakuya stood up suddenly.

“Captain?” the boy squeaked.

“My apologies,” he said. “It’s more urgent than ever that I find Renji.”

#

The hell butterfly reached Byakuya not long after he left the Fourth. Renji had been found at the steps of the Senaikyû Shishinrô by the lieutenants of the Third and the Fifth. He'd been mortally wounded by the ryoka. Zabimaru was shattered, defeated. They were in critical condition, survival was uncertain.

The hell butterfly fluttered in the air, awaiting Byakuya’s orders. Stunned, he watched the afternoon light glint off its iridescent black wings as it bobbed in front of him. He couldn’t even process the idea of Renji beaten, close to death, so Byakuya’s mind latched on one detail of the report.

Found by Third and the Fifth? 

Could that really be a coincidence? 

But what could Byakuya do? How could he keep his lieutenant safe from further harm—especially since the lieutenants were sure to report up their chain of command and Ichimaru or Aizen could already be on their way to Renji, to finish him off. Why had Renji been so stupid to get himself in this vulnerable position in the first place?

When Byakuya’s anger flared up at that thought, he knew what he could do. No one would suspect if he came down hard on Renji. In fact, it would be far more suspicious if he didn’t.

He’d call for Renji’s dismissal. He certainly deserved it for going AWOL in a time of war. He was, in point of fact, technically a deserter--especially given the proof of the abandoned badge. But a court-martial would have to wait for peace, so Renji could be transferred to the guardhouse at the Sixth to await trial. Byakuya could post guards. _His_ guards.

Lots and lots of guards.

To the patiently waiting butterfly, Byakuya said, “Send word to my Third Seat that Lieutenant Abarai is under arrest for dereliction of duty in time of war, desertion. The Third is to deploy the advance team as an escort immediately. They are to use shunpō and consider this an extreme emergency. No one but someone from the Sixth may touch Renji Abarai. No one, especially not those two lieutenants or their captains,” Byakuya told the butterfly, even though he knew he’d arrive before it would. 

As he went into flash step, Byakuya told himself not to worry. Renji wouldn’t die; he couldn’t. Renji would never allow himself to suffer such a disgraceful end. His demon wouldn’t either. 

Byakuya came to a stop just outside of where they held Renji. He could hear Kira and Hinamori whispering together, just inside the door. He also sensed Ichimaru’s reistsu lurking somewhere close. Byakuya let the fury that raged inside at the thought of anyone hurting Renji carrying him into the room. He pushed open the door with a bang.

But, he wasn’t quite prepared for the fact that Renji's hair had come unbound in the fight. Byakuya's breath caught in his throat. He had to clench his fists to keep from reaching a trembling hand to those crimson locks. He ached to drop to his knees and touch those paling lips with his own. His eyes took in the sight of all the blood—shocking amounts of it, still dripping, Renji’s life slipping away with each spatter.

Byakuya couldn’t stand it.

The thought of losing Renji was too painful; his resolve began to crumble. But, then he saw Kira looking at him, frightened--anxious. They both seemed to sense the slithering approach of Ichimaru’s spiritual pressure, as it lurked ever closer.

So Byakuya stood stiffly and coldly over Renji and let words come out—angry, ugly words—but he managed to say something to the effect of ‘toss him in jail.’ At least he knew that he’d given the hell butterfly clear orders. The Sixth’s team would be here soon, which was good because, Byakuya couldn't stand another minute without trembling. He had to leave before he broke down. 

He was nearly to the door. Aizen’s lieutenant sputterred angrily, and Byakuya stopped to see what she would threaten--what part of Aizen’s plans might be revealed in her demands.

He would listen carefully, but, if Hinamori dared come between him and Renji, he would cut her down without mercy. 

Even though she must have sensed Byakuya’s reistsu, the tiny lieutenant seemed ready to challenge him. Kira stopped her. 

When Kira’s eyes met Byakuya’s, Byakuya felt an understanding pass between them. Kira’s trembling gaze seemed to be trying to express acknowledgment that this was the right thing to do—to keep Renji safe from his captain, the monster that lurked in the shadows. 

When he sensed a third captain’s approach, as well as the activation of the advance team from the Sixth, Byakuya turned and left. As he walked out the door, he tried to send silent thoughts to Renji's unconscious form, _I’m sorry, my love. You'll hate me for the shackles, but I have to do it. I refuse lose you to another… or, gods help you, your own stupidity. Please trust me to keep you safe._

Now he just had to pray their past wouldn't come between them, and that Renji could.


End file.
